Love's Battlefield
by Buzzybee15
Summary: Alec and Jane are sent away to France for protection from the war the Volturi are facing. They are fostered by the French coven where Alec falls in love with their beautiful daughter, Victoire.
1. Better In Time

I looked carefully over my right shoulder as I exited the Volturi's castle. I hadn't been outside in a week and it was the first overcast day. I took a deep breath of the city air and searched the street for anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing. The atmosphere at home had been rather tense lately, what with the most recent war, if you could call it that. Aro was trying to keep it diplomatic, but we were all shaken because this time it was on our turf.

Aro had specifically said to keep close to home; he was especially concerned about Jane and me. We were his two most prized possessions and he would much rather we live than die. I walked slowly down the street, trying to keep my pace human. I had only made it about a hundred yards when I felt a restricting hand on my shoulder. I immediately reacted, spinning around and pinned the stranger against the wall. I felt a light burning sensation I recognized. Within the same second, I released Jane from my grasp.

"Alec, you idiot. You know we're supposed to stay at home." She said, fixing her black cloak and scowling at me. Jane was deep down much softer than she appeared. I knew that, even now, she was afraid of the people who had once tried to burn us at the stake. She was only hard with outsiders, particularly the Cullens.

"My apologies, sister, I didn't know it was you." I apologized, patting her head gently. Although we were twins, I was still a few inches taller.

"Exactly. I could have been a Churelian and you would be dead right now." She hissed.

"But you're not a Churelian and I'm not dead. Well…not really." I countered, grinning. She sighed and put her arm through mine as we walked down to the end of the street.

"Forgive me. It just frightens me that up until two weeks ago, we didn't even know they existed. These Indian vampires…we don't even know what they're capable of. They could be the end of the Volturi. Everyone is still shaken after the Olympian fiasco." She said, her dark red eyes staring straight ahead of her.

"It's alright, Jane. We'll be fine." I said, patting her hand.

"Maybe not. Some of the guards are already deserting us, Alec. Santiago, Corin…" She began.

"Sister, they will come to their senses. Now, perhaps we should return. We don't want Aro and Demetri to worry." I said the magic words. Jane adored Aro, he was the father we'd never had and Demetri was her mate now. Her mood brightened and we turned around, remaining vigilant.

We hopped down the hole and walked past Gianna, who rose and smiled fearfully but remained unacknowledged. Marcus, Caius, and Aro were in the study and had rarely been seen since this entire situation began. We walked to one of the lounge areas. I spread myself out on the couch and grabbed a book that someone had left there earlier. Jane entertained herself by examining the ancient tapestries that we'd seen a hundred times before.

"I doubt it's changed." I said, not looking up from the book.

"What else is there to do?" She said, turning around and pacing.

"I'm sure Demetri is around here somewhere." I sighed, flipping a page.

"In that you are correct, brother." Said Demetri, gliding into the room and putting his arms about Jane and kissing her forehead. "Aro has arranged a meeting with the leaders of the Churelians for later today. It should be…interesting."

"I don't understand why we haven't destroyed them yet." Pouted Jane. Demetri laughed.

"Because, sister, they are not without followers. If we kill them, their army will surely attack with the aim to avenge." I said, looking up.

"How many can they possibly have?" She asked, looking up at Demetri.

"Approximately fifteen." He said, stroking her arm. "At last report anyway." He added.

"That is not so bad." She scoffed.

"You forget, we have no idea how gifted they are." I said. "They are a complete blind spot for us."

"Come, Jane, and walk with me. Let us forget this dreary subject for a while. Excuse us, Alec." Said Demetri, slipping his hand through Jane's and exiting the room. Deep down, I was envious. Jane had finally found someone whose love she could requite and who respected her. I had found no one who I could see myself caressing the way Demetri caressed Jane. Outwardly, I blamed my youth, but inwardly I wondered if there simply was no one out there for me.

"Why so glum, Alec?" Asked Felix, striding into the room and sitting down on the couch opposite me.

"Have you ever been under house arrest?" I replied sarcastically. I placed my book on the side table and stared at the bookshelf.

"No, but I'd find a good way to entertain myself." He said, rolling his eyes.

"I've read practically every book in the castle and even taught myself Hindu. Not much else to do." I said.

"I can think of a few ways." He contradicted, raising his eyebrows then laughing.

"You repulse me sometimes." I said.

"Replied the only virgin vampire." He laughed.

"Whatever." I shook my head and made to leave.

"Well you are, not my fault." He said, raising his hands in defense. "Even Jane and Demetri have done the deed." I shuddered internally at the thought.

"Go away." I hissed, and exited the room. I wandered aimlessly about the corridors, nodding every now and again at some member of the Volturi. After about an hour, I came across Afton, who was hurrying toward me.

"Alec! Aro would like you and Jane to be present at the meeting with the Churelians. Along with Chelsea, Renata and Demetri." He said excitedly but with a hint of the familiar envy in his voice.

"Thank you, Afton. Where is it?" I asked politely.

"The throne room." He said. I turned on my heel and really ran, the walls passing me by with my feet scarcely making a sound. I arrived at my destination and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Alec." Aro called from within. I entered and strode over to Jane's side.

"Did I miss anything?" I whispered so only Jane could here.

"No, they'll arrive in seconds." She murmured. I heard Demetri and Chelsea's voices outside, welcoming our guests. Jane tensed when she heard Demetri's voice. In came three olive skinned women with black hair the color of the night sky. They were beautiful, all of them. One's hair was cut to chin length and she looked more severe than the other two. The one in the middle had her hair out and down to her waist while the third's hair was braided down her back. The were all dressed modernly but their style had hints of Indian origins.

"Welcome, ladies, to our humble abode." Said Aro, rising and then resettling.

"Thank you, Aro. I can see that the rumors were true, you are quite welcoming." Said the one in the middle with the flowing hair.

"It appears that while you know of us, we know so little of you. I believe introductions are in order. These are my brothers, Caius and Marcus, and some of my friends, Chelsea, Demetri, Renata, Alec, and Jane." He gestured to each one of us before resettling himself on his throne.

"Pleasure. I am Lakshita, and these are my sisters, Jayati," She gesture to the one with the short hair, "and Kamika."

"Wonderful, please take my hand so that I may know more." He said, approaching the women and holding out his hand. The woman, Lakshita, took it and glanced reassuringly at her sisters. After a few moments, Aro released her hand, still welcoming. "So Jayati, you are able to build a mind connection through a psychic blast?" He asked, generally interested.

"Yes." She said curtly. "But I need to be alone with the person."

"And there is a link between you and each one of your, shall we say, family?" He pursued.

"Yes, but it is a risky procedure and some of the results can be weaker or stronger depending on the subject's personal free will." She shrugged. My thoughts dashed to Corin and Santiago.

"Mind control?" Asked Caius, impatiently but partly fearful.

"No, I can read what they're thinking at any moment of the day. It's a link, but it, the connecting procedure, can be painful for them." Jayati answered, eyes still fixed on Aro's hands.

"And Kamika, you are able to reverse a gift?" He said. Jane flashed me a fearful look. I understood her thoughts; she could turn our gifts on ourselves.

"Essentially." She replied in a high-pitched voice. "If someone tries to say read my mind, I could shield against them and read their minds. I can turn it on and off." She smiled at Aro and I froze.

"Excellent, excellent." Said Aro, rubbing his hands and turning back to Marcus and Caius. "We have here, gentlemen, a talented bunch."

"Can you clarify exactly what business it is you have here in Volterra?" Asked Caius, a little defensively.

"Oh a little of this and a little of that." Shrugged Lakshita. "To meet the famous Volturi and their friends, to get to know your charming city. In fact, we have already met some of your friends, lovely people." Caius and Aro froze but Lakshita continued. "We, that is my family and I, may stay awhile. Get to know the territory a little, mix with the locals, meet some more of your friends."

"Well perhaps…" Aro began, still smiling.

"Oh my, would you look at the time. Sisters, we must go. As you can imagine, our family and friends will be getting anxious. I can only imagine what these people here would do if you were harmed. We will go now." They backed away slowly, and then turned and exited the room. I heard every warning and double meaning in her sentence and so, it appeared, did everyone else. My personal assessment of Lakshita was that she was Aro's female counterpart in everyway.

"Well, Aro?" Demanded Caius, rising from his seat.

"They are ambitious, they see themselves where we sit now, brothers." He said, the smile draining from his face.

"The upstarts!" Snarled Caius. They began to pace while Marcus continued to sit, looking completely at ease.

"Do they plan to attack?" Sighed Marcus, as though he could care less.

"No, not yet. They haven't exactly decided. They will try pick off some of our less loyal friends one by one until they are ready. Chelsea, we will need your gift." Said Aro, throwing her a glance. She nodded.

"Yes, master." She said submissively.

"We will need more guards in the wives' tower." Said Caius, staring at the ceiling. He then paused, open-mouthed. "I did not like the way they were looking at Alec and Jane." Caius grabbed Aro's hand.

"Yes, brother, it has come to that." Whispered Aro gravely.

"I will place a call to the Coutants." Said Marcus, rising and striding out of the room.

"What?" Asked Jane, for once out of the loop.

"It would appear that our new friends are in the mood for two more acquisitions." Snapped Caius.

"Never." I said, shaking my head in disgust.

"You two are our best offensive weapons, and right now we are on the defense. You will need to pack, we are sending you to France to live with our more domesticated neighbors, the Coutants." Said Aro sadly.

"Master…" Jane choked, kneeling before Aro and taking his hands. I was too numb for words. For the first time ever, we were going to be completely separated from our family.

"No, my dear, you will not be alone. Demetri will go with you." Demetri's head snapped up. "It will not be for so long."

"But…" I began, finding my voice and walking over to Aro and Jane.

"You leave in two days. There will be fog on Wednesday and that will help get you to the airport safely. Au Revoir, my children, good luck." And with that, we were told to make ready for the journey.


	2. If I Die Young

Everyone was one edge that day. Two nights before, Gaston had received a phone call from the vampire royal family, the Volturi. Apparently, they were being threatened by this gifted Indian coven, threatened enough to send their three most powerful offensive weapons into hiding. I had not yet had the opportunity to meet any of the Volturi, being only ten years old. I was relatively new but still had the self-control that my family had taught me.

Apparently, before any of us were created, Gaston had met an English vampire, Carlisle Cullen. Carlisle had opened Gaston's eyes to what his life as a vampire could be, and the value of human life. Gaston explained it philosophically, just like everything else. He decided that vampires were put on earth to learn the value of life, for you can only truly recognize the importance of something when it is taken from you.

We were all nervous because no one in our world ever truly trusted the Volturi. There was always a chance of being falsely accused of some trivial crime by the bloodthirsty Caius; or being torn from your family by Marcus and Chelsea; or worse, being charmed by Aro, the avaricious leader.

I was left home alone, Marie had a busy day's work ahead of her at her bridal parlor, and Chantal and Francois were attending Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris. Gaston himself, the breadwinner, was a private Psychiatrist to the wealthy residents of Paris and neighboring towns and cities. I admired my family; they tried so hard to keep an ambiance of humanity about them.

The phone rang again and I was across the room in a second. I waited another ring, a practiced habit so that it seemed as though I had moved close to a human pace. I picked it up mid-ring and answered, spinning around to look out on the pond in the garden.

"Hello, Coutant residence." I watched the flowers blow gently in the light breeze.

"Victoire, Marie wants to know if you're helping out at the store later." Said the familiar voice of my adopted brother, Francois.

"Yeah, why?" I asked, twirling the cord in my stone fingers.

"Because she wants to make sure someone will be at the house today when...they arrive." He replied with an edge to his usually mellow voice.

"Gaston said he would be home early, just in case." I said, trying to keep my voice even.

"Whatever you say. So I'll see you later then." I could hear his characteristic shrug over the phone.

"Bye." The conversation had lasted all of one minute, but still managed to allow fear to creep into the atmosphere. What was worse than the fear we felt for the vampire civilization was not knowing what was going to come next for our family. We didn't know how long these Volturi members would be here, we didn't know what to expect of their general behavior, and most importantly we didn't when they would arrive.

I didn't have any danger vibes coming from this impending visit. It was sort of my gift, self-preservation. If these Volturi brought with them any danger, I would have my enhanced instincts telling me so. If they wanted a chase, part two of my gift would be helpful: tracking evasion. I'm untraceable; I can leave no scent and no footprints should I choose not to. Any mind tracking could easily take me down but it's not as though I'm leaving an obvious trail to follow.

I wandered aimlessly through the house, poking my head into any room that wasn't perfectly clean and tidied up. I sighed when I came across Chantal and Francois' room. Chantal's gift, telekinesis, didn't help with her messy personality. She could summon any inanimate object, but there was little chance that she'd leave it where she'd found it. Francois didn't care how messy she was, all he wanted was for her to be happy.

True love was disgusting sometimes. You would give up all your independence, all your possessions for that one person who may not even feel the same way. Chantal had it easy; she could have any male creature in the world in all her blonde, nineteen year old, beautiful perfection. I sighed as I passed by the family portrait. They could almost pass for a biological family, if you excluded me. They all had the same blonde hair, and were all mature and adult looking. I was the only dark haired and by far the youngest looking.

I had been changed when I was but fourteen years old. Marie and Gaston had been strolling in the streets of Paris by the river when they had found me, washed up on the side of the Seine, barely allowing air to enter my lungs. My human stepmother, Danielle Benoit (now Dupont) had pushed me in from the ledge of a bridge and walked away, as if I was of no consequence. I had been the only thing keeping her from marriage with my father, Vincent Dupont, so she had killed me. Or, at least, she had tried very hard to. Marie and Gaston had found me and bitten me; I became a Coutant, end of story.

I wish I had been older, at least old enough to drive a car legally and to go to college and to see the world. My stepmother had gotten her wish, she and my father had married two years after my "death" and they had two sons now, Blaise who was seven and Lucas who was four. I had made it my business to keep track on what would have been my family.

But everything was done and there was no going back. Marie and Gaston were better parents than anyone could ask for, but there is still the ever present "What if…?"

I walked outside, barefoot, to the garden. I stared at my reflection in the crystal clear pond. I was beautiful, but then again, all vampires were. My wavy, dark brown hair was loose about my shoulders; my white skin was unblemished and unmarked under the cloudy sky, and my horribly beautiful dark golden eyes stared back at me. I looked older than fourteen, or maybe just more mature, sixteen at best. The grass beneath by toes was like green silk stroking my feet. My strapless white sundress was cut at the knee and was a complimenting contrast to my dark hair. My golden locket from my human father hung about my neck…

I examined my eyes, a little on the dark side. Turning on my heel, I strode back to the house and checked the clock. The day had passed quicker than usual. I had three hours before I actually had to be at Marie's store, but a quick excursion in the city of lights couldn't hurt. I was up the stairs in a flash. My room was on the second floor, down the hall, to the left. It was spacious and had all the necessities for your average vampire: a computer, books, stereo, desk, sectional couch, etc…but no bed. No sleep, no bed, more space. I decided to add a blue cardigan to my bare shoulders, a belt to my slender waist, brown gladiator sandals for my feet, and golden hoped earrings. I French braided my hair, grabbed my purse.

I ran swiftly down the stairs and out the door. I started running, mostly in the trees near the road. It felt good to run, to feel the full force of my power, to feel the wind in my hair. I arrived in Paris in five minutes, being my own mode of public transportation, without a hair out of place.

I walked to the bridge where Danielle had tried to murder me at a steady human pace. I laid my hand on the ledge of the bridge and suddenly felt her hand on my shoulder.

"Victoire, you know I love your father very much." I heard her voice inside my head and suddenly it was 8:03 pm precisely on May 23rd, 2001. I felt the wind in my hair and saw the couple nearby stride away, holding hands. We were alone on the bridge.

"I know you love his money, but do you really love him?" I challenged, my haughty personality clouding my better judgment. I flipped my hair and looked back into her grey eyes, which flashed with hatred momentarily.

"Why do you always feel the need to contradict me?" She demanded, her hand uncomfortably tighter on my shoulder.

"Because I am sick and tired of you using my father for money and God knows what else. Nice diamond necklace by the way, did my dad give it to you after you…" I was scowling at the river now.

"Please, Victoire, please just stop being in the way. I have suggested a lovely boarding school to your father…"

"Right so you can have my room for your offspring? Well let me tell you that I will always be here, looking after my father and making sure he isn't persuaded to do anything I know he'll regret. In fact, I'm sure he's already regretting those nights you spent at our house." She slapped me, hard across my face. I felt the blood rush to my cheek and I raised my hand to my cheek. I heard her whisper, "Bitch," harshly

"Enough that is enough out of you. I will marry your father whether you like it or not." She snapped, picking up where we had left off before dinner. Danger signals were starting to go off in my head, but I ignored them, ready for a fight.

"He hasn't proposed yet nor will he ever. Not today, not tomorrow, not over my dead body." I turned on her, drawing myself up to my full height. Her strawberry blonde hair was gently curled at her shoulders and her eyes were like knives.

"We'll see, won't we?" She said, and with that she pushed me over the edge. My head hit the side hard and I blacked out for a second. I came to just before I hit the water. I was like ice on my skin, I had never been a skilled swimmer and the current was strong. The last thing I saw before my head slipped beneath the waves was Danielle's emotionless face watching me struggle.


	3. Gotta Be Somebody

It was a foggy day in Paris. We had gotten off the plane about an hour or so ago and Jane wanted to see Paris before going to our new prison. Demetri, as always, complied therefore I was outnumbered. The Eiffel tower was a majestic sight to humans but, having seen it dozens of times before, I was unimpressed.

"So they have Gaston and Marie," Began Demetri, trying to make light conversation as we walked the streets as though we were three normal teenagers.

"The parental figures, yes. Then there is Chantal and Francois." Added Jane.

"Mates, and then there is this newer one who we have yet to meet." I piped up, staring straight ahead.

"Victoire, isn't it? Only ten years old?" Put in Demetri.

"Approximately." Finished Jane. We continued on in this way before we decided to pause at some clothing store. Jane was undead, cruel at times, but still a girl. The store smelled of human perfume, which was almost intoxicating. I held my breath as Jane flounced from rack to rack.

"You're becoming more and more human by the minute." I teased, smirking as she held up a grey blouse. Jane and I had always had a certain amount of disdain for humans. They just seemed to be…less divine than vampires. Of course their sciences and politics were fascinating but still they remained dull in our eyes. Not to mention, they're so fragile and temporary. They only live a few decades before they die, some having made their mark on society, others barely existing.

"Is it my fault?" She asked; her bright red eyes glanced at me, before wandering over to a yellow skirt on the other side of the store.

"Yellow? Really?" I questioned, rolling my eyes. Demetri had been there, following behind us all the while.

"Alec, I think you would benefit from a different venue. Go, enjoy Paris, we'll find you when we're done and then we can all leave together." Said Demetri, laying a reassuring hand on my shoulder. While he had been eighteen when he had changed, he was still closer to us in general size.

"And leave you alone with my sister?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. What Felix had said had struck a cord with me and it still sent shivers down my back. My little sister…

"Don't worry, brother. We'll be fine." My thoughts were interrupted by Demetri's laugh.

"Whatever, I'll see you later. Jane," I called. Jane turned, looking up from her latest fancy. "Behave." She smiled, and then waved. Three years ago, we had been inseparable now that she and Demetri had finally let their feelings be known, it was as though I was of little consequence sometimes.

I exited the store and took a breath of fresher air. I wore a collared shirt over a t-shirt with jeans, an interesting change from my usual black robes. I saw some human girls walk by, each of them throwing me a look of interest. I had long since let that stop going to my head. Humans, comparatively, held little attraction for vampires. Of course there was the occasional exception (such as Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan) but still.

My feet led me to a stone bridge that stretched over the Siene. I looked down at the water, seeing my blood red eyes and messy brown hair staring back at me. I saw another reflection, about twenty feet from mine, of a girl with dark brown hair braded back behind her head. She was looking out at the river, but not seeming to see it. It took me less than a second to see that she was more than human. It was her eyes that gave her away, those golden, almond shaped eyes were familiar to me now. I had seen them before, when I had first met the Cullens.

She seemed to know that someone was watching her, and her eyes flashed towards me before she turned slowly around to peer curiously at me. I walked over to her at a humanly unsure pace.

"Hello?" It was a simple greeting, but it came out as a question.

"Hi." She said, turning her head slightly to the side. She did not seem to have been very old when she had stopped aging, maybe fourteen or fifteen. I had no idea what to say, my mind was calculating the chances of her being a Coutant, a nomad, or a branch of the Churelian's swiftly growing tree.

There was little chance that she was a nomad, being so young looking and small. Which left Coutant, or Churelian..

"Who are you?" I asked bewildered. She laughed at my abruptness and turned back to the river.

"Why do you want to know?" She responded coyly, smiling out into the river.

"Personal curiosity." I shrugged, and then mirrored her by leaning over the edge.

"I don't give my name out to just any vampire I meet on the street. Who are you?" She asked, turning her head to face me. She was grinning and seemed unconcerned that a random vampire had crossed her path.

"John." I lied, safety first.

"Nomad?" She guessed, though not seeming to really believe it, just a conveniently errant assumption.

"Not exactly." I chuckled. A son of the Volturi was anything but a nomad, but she didn't need to know that. Again, because of safety bt also because I didn't want to see the fear in her eyes when she realized that she was speaking to Alec Volturi, one of the most revered and powerful vampires of the world. "And you?"

"Not exactly." She laughed, looking back out at the Siene, the falling sun splintered the water with light. We stood in silence for a few moments. This girl intrigued me. Perhaps it was because she was the youngest looking vampire I had ever met, besides Jane and myself.

"So do I get to know you're name?" I asked, turning my head towards her. She looked back at me.

"Fifi." She smiled.

"That's your name?" I asked incredulously. She looked like anything but a Fifi.

"Yep, is there a problem with that?" She replied, holding out her hand. I took it for a moment, and then let it drop. I could tell she was lying, having been with the Volturi for so many years, I was practically gifted at lie detection. But I let it slide, knowing that if she wanted me to know her name, I'd know it.

"No," I shook my head, "So you maintain a permanent residence in Paris?" I guessed.

"No, just outside of the city. I just like to come here; it's something alive, you know, unlike people like us. It's always moving forward, always changing." She explained reasonably. I understood her perspective. It was natural to cling to all living things when you yourself so desperately wanted to join them. There was another pause; I hadn't a clue what to say. It was usually uncharacteristic of me to talk to vampires who were not in the Volturi's inner circle.

"So what about you? You obviously aren't from Paris." She asked, looking me up and down. I laughed at this.

"No, I'm from England." It was technically true. Jane and I were from a small village in southern England. We had only come to Italy with Aro and Caius after they had changed us.

"That's…nice." She nodded. There was a buzzing sound coming from her purse. "Excuse me." She said, then taking out her phone and turning her back from me.

"Yes, yes I'll be there shortly. I don't know if he's home or not. Yeah, yes I'm on the way. Bye." She hung up the phone and rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry but I have to go. It was nice meeting you, John." She said smiling, before turning away. I was frozen for a moment before I woke myself up, realizing that I didn't really want her to leave.

"Wait!" I called. She turned, eyebrows raised. "Your name isn't Fifi, is it?" She smiled.

"Is your name really John?" She countered before turning away and continuing to walk east to God knows where. I chuckled and looked down at the water below.

"No, no it is not." I murmured, shaking my head.


	4. Free To Be Me

I tucked a stray hair behind my ear as I continued on my way through Paris, smiling ever so slightly. My mind wandered back to the bridge where I had met the most intriguing guy, not a _human_ guy, obviously. He was one of us (it felt like one of me), immortal, cold, and pale. I had wanted to stay, even if it had been for a few hours holding nothing but awkward silences. He had lied to me about his name, but I had lied, too. It was good that he didn't trust me, if he was of the Volturi, he shouldn't trust anyone right now.

The sun was slowly making its way down the sky behind the cover of clouds. It wasn't quite sunset, when the masterful sun would streak the sky with orange and pink and yellow. On the sidewalks there were chairs and tables set up belonging to the Cafés that lined the streets. The road was cobble stoned and the buildings towered over me, as if the wanted to embrace each other, to close the narrow gap that was the street. I saw a man and his little dog walk by, he looked at me curiously and his dog barked and pulled him forward. I smiled ever so slightly before continuing on my way; these occurrences were typical of my kind.

I came across a bridal parlor, and opened the door and bells jingled, signaling my arrival. I saw Chantal and Francois, the dream couple, lounging on chairs and occasionally getting up to fetch Marie a pin or lace of some sort. Marie herself was kneeling before a woman, pinning the hem of her dress while the woman admired herself in the mirror, her green eyes taking in every detail, her brown hair cascading down her back. She was almost as pretty as she thought she was.

The shop itself was neat and high end looking. The walls were painted beige and the brown leather sectional sat in the middle of the room. There was a white door, which led to the back room where all the dresses were stored. Off to the far left was a door leading to the dressing room where the brides could get a little privacy. My thoughts were interrupted by Marie's familiarly motherly voice.

"So, my dear, you think the groom will approve?" Marie asked, standing up behind the woman.

"Absolutely! Thank you so much. When can I pick it up?" She asked turning from the mirror, probably for the first time.

"Whenever you like, Miss." Replied Marie.

"How about…" I decided not to listen to anything else she said, it was all trivial and I'd heard it all before. I went over to sit beside Chantal while the happy bride left paid Marie, then left.

"How many more appointments?" I asked, not caring who answered.

"None that was the last one. You would have been able to help more if you hadn't been late." Said Marie, smiling at me affectionately.

"I'm sorry, mom. I got caught up in things." I shrugged.

"What things? _Boy_ things?" Grinned Francois evilly. His spiky blonde hair was short and his body was lean, even sitting. He was my brother in every sense of the word.

"So what if they were?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Was he good enough to eat?" Joked Chantal while she snuggled into Francois. Chantal's wavy and windswept blonde hair made her look like Aphrodite's better-looking twin sister.

"No, he was one of our kind." I replied, twirling the stray hair in my fingers before putting it back into place. They all froze slightly, minds racing to our visitors who would be arriving later that evening.

"What was his name?" Asked Marie, trying to sound nonchalant.

"He said it was John." I sighed. "But I highly doubt it."

"Did you tell him your name?" Asked Marie with a slight edge to her voice.

"No, Marie. I lied too." Relief spread around the room.

"So what is your alias?" Chuckled Francois.

"Fifi, he doesn't know if I'm in a coven or not. He knows I'm not exactly alone though." I shrugged again before getting up to stand by Marie. Francois laughed at the name I had chosen and agreed that I in no way looked like a Fifi.

"It would appear that you left this boy quite aloofly." Observed Marie while patting my shoulder once. "Smart girl. We should leave in half an hour. I need to alter three dresses so entertain yourselves." Her hands went over the dress in front of her with great speed but also with gentleness, long strands of her blonde hair falling in front of her face while the rest was pulled back in a ponytail.

It amazed me that Marie could stand her work; I couldn't understand her affinity for it. I'm sure it goes a long the lines of helping humans but it was so simple and basic.

Chantal and Francois busied themselves by getting ahead on all the assignments from the university that they had been given. I picked up a bridal magazine and admired the gowns that I would never be able to wear. Being frozen at fourteen…I'd have to say that I had some sort of genetic disease that made me look younger or something like that if I had any hopes of marriage.

I loved my immortal life and the perks that came with it: the strength, the intelligence, the speed, and my gift. But some would argue that the price I'd paid for it was too much, I had sold my soul and lost my life. While I hadn't had much of a choice, I had still paid heavily. It reminded me of the signs you see in antique stores, "You break it you buy it."

I closed my eyes and smelled the satin and tool and other materials. I listened to the sounds of shoppers admiring the window display and the sounds of young children begging their mothers for an ice cream.

"My sister bought her wedding dress from there." Said a woman's voice.

"Don't you have to make appointments like a month in advanced?" Replied another,

"Basically. During the year there is only one person working there. In the summer they have two other girls helping out. It's worth the wait, though, a nice family sort of atmosphere." I cut their voices from my head, getting bored. A cell phone jingle rang and all three of our heads snapped up toward the noise. Marie stopped her work and answered.

"Hello?" She said, picking her work back up with one hand. Less sensitive ears would be unable to hear the caller's voice, but luckily, my ears were not less sensitive.

"_Hello, ma cherie. I've just finished with my last patient. I'm on my way home."_ Greeted Gaston's cheerful voice

"Right, okay we'll be there shortly. Have _they_ called?" There was silence on the other end.

"_No, not yet. I highly doubt that they will. The Volturi enjoy surprises." _Gaston replied. His voice hardened at surprises ever so slightly.

"Don't you find it a little rude that they haven't said when they're arriving?" Asked Marie, putting her work down.

"_But of course. But we just need to roll with the situation, it is what it is, my dear."_ Soothed Gaston.

"Whatever you say. Are you planning on hunting before they come?" Asked Marie, trying to shrug off her worries.

_"Maybe tomorrow. I also think it would be more suitable if our guests at least make an attempt at a vegetarian diet while they are staying with us."_ Mused Gaston.

"Which will be for how long?" Asked Marie.

_"However long it takes the Volturi to obliterate these Churelians."_ Said Gaston simply.

"And if they lose?" There was another pause.

"We shall see. I must go. I will see you soon. I love you." Said Gaston.

"I love you too." Marie hung up the phone and sighed.


	5. Contagious

We sped along the countryside outside of Paris in the silver Porsche we had rented. More often than not, we steal the cars on our missions for the Volturi. But this time we had no idea how long we'd be in France and decided it would be best not to draw attention to ourselves by something as petty as grand theft auto. Jane sat in the front with Demetri, I scowled at their joined hands before I turned my eyes to the window. The green fields stretched until you almost couldn't even see the manors. We were exceeding the speed limit by almost fifty miles per hour and the silence pressed in on the atmosphere of the car.

I heard Jane's shopping bags fall with a gentle thud in the trunk. Of course Demetri and I would be carrying all her purchases up to her room, if the Coutants trusted us enough to give us rooms, of course. My anticipation rose as we drove farther and farther away from Paris. The sun was setting fast behind us, making the colors tinted with orange and then richer with night.

I wondered if I would see the girl again, the girl who had called herself Fifi. She was easily more beautiful than any other immortal that I had met in more than three hundred years and she had teased me in just the right wy. If she was a Coutant, I'd like to think that she was hiding her identity to protect her Volturi visitors. I should have said something more to her, but I didn't and may never be able to.

"Are we close?" Jane asked, turning her head to look out the window.

"Five minutes." Said Demetri, bringing her hand to his lips.

"Will we revisit Paris?" I asked, trying to sound as indifferent as I always did.

"And give Jane more shopping opportunities?" Laugh Demetri. Jane rolled her eyes and put on her headphones.

"Whatever." I sighed, secretly hoping that I would see Fifi again should we ever return to Paris. We turned into a long driveway that went straight down the middle of a green meadow before we saw the huge stone mansion at the end of the driveway.

"Charming." Said Jane, getting out of the car. Night had fallen and there were lights turned on in the house. The four-car garage was closed, so we left our car parked in the driveway. We could smell the garden that was hidden behind the wooden fence that stretched from the house to the garage. We all walked up to the house, Demetri and Jane holding hands while I walked behind them.

We knew they could here us as we walked up to the smaller side door as opposed to the more grand doors at the front facing the meadow. We knocked politely and the door opened with no one answering.

"Chantal, we open the doors ourselves when we have guests." A woman with blonde hair appeared at the end of the hallway leading into the foyer. The floor was a white and gold tile with a huge golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling. To the left was a huge formal living room with extravagant furniture. This home was almost as impressive as the castle in Volterra. There was a laugh from upstairs.

"Welcome. I assume that you are our Volturi house guests." Said the woman, a smile spreading across her face.

"Yes. I am Jane, this is Demetri, and my brother, Alec." Said Jane, gesturing towards Demetri then to me.

"Hello." A man with matching blonde hair entered from the living room and came to shake our hands. "I am Gaston Coutant, this is my wife, Marie. Our children should make an appearance any moment now." He turned towards the stairs as two older teenagers appeared, also sporting blonde hair. The girl walked down while the boy slid down the railing.

"Hi." Said the girl when she reached the bottom. She was slightly shorter than her friend. She looked nothing like Fifi; this girl was taller and blonde. "I'm Chantal and this is Francois." The boy nodded before slipping his arm around Chantal's waist.

"Pleasure." Said Jane simply. "It is an honor for us to be staying with you." My eyes snapped toward the staircase where another figure appeared, poking her face shyly around the column, her wavy dark brown hair falling on her shoulders, her strapless white dress tickling her knees, and her eyes lighting up when our eyes met.

"Oh and this is our other daughter, Victoire." Said Marie, pointing out the girl.

"We've met, Marie." Said Victoire, walking out towards the group, flashing me a smile. Marie looked confused before she worked out the pieces in her head.

"Is this the boy?" She asked, looking towards Victoire.

"What boy?" Asked the man, Gaston, looking towards his wife.

"Nothing, Gaston." Said Marie, patting his arm then whispering something in his ear. He nodded and became the welcoming host again.

"Now we have rooms prepared for you, for appearance's sake. I would remind you that I will occasionally have clients at the house and that they will believe that you are my wife's niece and nephews, if that is quite alright with you, of course." He said.

"Absolutely. Whatever is most convenient for you. We also would like to know what your preference is on our…diet." Jane said without much emotion. With outsiders, she was no longer Jane my sister, she was Jane, prized weapon and proud daughter of the Volturi.

"Ah, yes, well, we would much prefer it if you at least attempted our lifestyle during your visit." I noticed Jane's jaw tighten ever so slightly. "But if you find it to challenging…" Demetri's head snapped up at the challenge.

"It shouldn't be a problem." Said Demetri, grinning and curling his arm around Jane.

"Excellent, excellent. Now if you will excuse me, I have some work that I must attend to." Said Gaston, turning on his heel and striding back in the direction from which he had come. Chantal and Francois left the room quickly and their laughter could be heard from the other side of the house.

"Come, I will show you to your rooms." Said Marie, making her way up the staircase. We followed her and I stole one more glance at Victoire, who gave a little wave before I lost sight of her as I arrived at the second floor. We followed Marie down the hall past old paintings and tasteful tapestries. At the end of the hall there were three bedrooms, although I had a feeling that Demetri would be spending most of his time in Jane's room and vice versa.

"Here we are. Make yourselves comfortable." Marie opened one of the bedroom doors to reveal a spacious room with a desk, a four-poster bed, a couch, and huge window. "I leave you to get settled." Marie left us, humming quietly to her.

"They expect us to drink _animals_?" Jane hissed as soon as Marie was out of earshot.

"Don't worry, Janey, it'll only be for a little while." Demetri soothed, taking Jane in his arms. I left them then, feeling embarrassed to be around them. I wondered how many decades would have to go by before I could stand to be near them again. I followed the vanilla scent to a white door and knocked politely.

"Come in." Called the voice of an angel. I entered and saw Victoire lying on her stomach on a sectional with a book in her hand on.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." I said politely.

"No you're fine. Do you need anything?" She asked, sitting up, looking concerned.

"An escape from my sister and her boyfriend." I sighed. Victoire gestured to a spot on the couch and I sat down beside her.

"I know the feeling. I've lived with Chantal and Francois for a decade and they still repulse me sometimes." She sympathized. "I'm happy that they have each other but I wish they didn't have to rub it in everyone's faces all the time."

"I know. How do you endure it?" I asked, making light conversation.

"I hide in here, and they have University most days so I have the house to myself." She shrugged, putting her book on the coffee table. There was another silence that fell over the room. I had an unfamiliar urge to reach out and touch her hand, just to feel it. As I was about to stretch out my hand, she spoke again

"So, your name isn't John." She said smiling.

"And yours isn't Fifi." I chuckled.

"Touché." She leaned back into the couch and turned her face towards mine, her golden eyes peering curiously at me.

"What?" I asked, wondering what this beautiful creature before me was thinking.

"You're different then I expected." She shrugged, running her finger down one of the pillows once.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you?" It came out as a question. My mind was spinning with questions as I gazed at her.

"You don't disappoint me. I just expected you to be scary, but you're…I don't know how to describe it." She said, crinkling her brow.

"I can be scary." I said, a grin spreading across my face, showing all of my teeth. I moved into a crouching position, her eyes widened and she sat up straighter.

"Don't you—" She began, but I had already sprung into the air and was on top of her in the same second. I pinned her arms down and my face was inches from hers.

"How about now?" I whispered, still grinning.

"Terrifying." She breathed, a small smile playing around he corners of her lips. I contemplated brushing my lips against her cheeks, but decided against it. I let her up and she fixed her hair.


	6. IMPORTANT AN

**A/N: Hey guys, so I haven't given this story much thought in god knows how long. I had sort of written it off when I got writer's block but I've recently been asked to come back to it and I did some digging and found the old outline and with some tweaks I think this could be pretty good. Problem is, it's exam week so there will be an update sometime this week but updates may be on the back burner until Christmas break. UGH so much writing tonight I have a CRAZY history paper due tomorrow which will not be fun. Anyways I'm excited to get back to writing, it's been a while I've been doing some reading and some living and I think this story could benefit from it.**

**If any of you want to PM me with suggestions or you just wanna talk about the story or life in general feel free to hit me up. Keep it classy!**

**Bee**


	7. Fly

Another sun had risen and another day had begun. I sat down in Gaston's study, busying myself by reading one of his philosophy books. I heard his footsteps coming down the hall and I still didn't look up.

"Victoire, Marie and I want to know what you're plan is for today." Said Gaston, completely unperturbed that I was sitting in his office.

"None so far. Depends on the weather." I sighed, not looking up from his book.

"Sun. Staying on the property or at least out of sight would be preferable." He mused, sitting down in one of his leather armchairs. "I need to ask you a favor." He whispered a little more seriously. I looked up curiously and felt my eyebrows furrow at his change in demeanor.

"Anything."

"It's about our guests." He began. I tensed for a moment, remembering my situation with Alec the night before.

"_Terrifying." I breathed. He had me pinned under him as though I were his prey. I knew I could probably reverse the situation easily but there was something comfortable about it. He let me up after a moment and I fixed my hair back to its former flawlessness. "How long do you think you will be staying with us?" I asked nonchalantly and felt the air tense ever so slightly._

_ "I'm not sure, whenever Aro, Caius, and Marcus send for us I suppose." He said, weighing his words _

_ "Are the Churelians such a threat?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me._

_ "Absolutely. The problem is, they had surprise on their side. We had no idea of their existence and we have never seen such unusual gifts. If we had been able to anticipate them, it would be a different story." He explained lying back slightly into the cushions. I nodded thoughtfully, trying to imagine savages in colorful dress invading Italy._

_ "Alec!" Jane called, appearing at the door. Alec stiffened at the call of his name and then relaxed again upon realizing it was just his sister. _

_ "You and Demetri finished then?" He asked dryly. I remained composed save for a slight twitch that I hoped went unnoticed. _

_ "I need your help unpacking my things." She crossed her arms, dancing around his taunt._

_ "Of course, Sister, what an honor it is." He sighed and followed her out before turning to grin at me._

"What about them?" I asked, recalling last night.

"I would like you to teach them how to hunt our kind of food." Gaston said lowly.

"Today?" I whispered.

"I believe it would be key to switch them to our diet as soon as possible. But do not force it on them." He warned. I smiled at him gently.

"But of course, Gaston, they will be in my capable hands." I assured him.

"Excellent. Monsieur and Madame Bellamy will be arriving in an hour so I suggest you and our guests leave before then." He advised. I nodded and began to walk out when Gaston held my wrist. "Be careful, cherie." I grimaced and walked out.

I made my way upstairs to Alec's room to find him sitting alone and staring up at the ceiling. He turned his head to face me and smiled.

"Good Morning." He said politely.

"Hi, so Gaston would like for me to teach you and your friends to hunt today with your compliance." I said somewhat nervously. He was suddenly in front of me, his face an inch away from my own.

"Of course." He said, unfazed by our proximity. When I didn't respond he continued. "Shall we gather my sister and Demetri?" I nodded, trying to seem as blasé as he had. I turned and felt him follow me and I knocked on the door to Jane's room. There was shuffling before she opened the door, trying to look innocent. A shirtless Demetri sitting on the edge of the bed seemed to tell otherwise. I felt Alec tense as he and his sister made eye contact.

"If you have no objections, I would be honored to teach you our way of hunting." I said evenly, paying no attention to the awkwardness of the situation.

"We have blood bags." Jane said quickly, trying unsuccessfully to close the door before Alec stopped it with his foot.

"So you will stay here?" He asked without emotion.

"Yes I think we will, with of course the utmost respect to you, Victoire. Perhaps another day." She trailed before closing the door with no barrier. I turned to Alec, trying to distract him from his sudden fascination with the door.

"I suppose it is just us two." I said. He turned to me with something like a smile.

"Sounds good to me." I observed him, wore a collared shirt, a blazer, and nice pants.

"Right, then you might want to wear jeans and something you won't mind getting dirty in." I wanted to take the words back almost as I said them. He chuckled before walking back to his room.

"And what will you be wearing?" He called over his shoulder laughing. I internally slapped myself as I ran back to my room. I threw on a pair of leggings and a short sleeved pink shirt. I figured I might as well go barefoot. I had ruined too many shoes hunting to make the same mistake twice.

I decided to wait for him in the foyer as I leaned against the front door. He jumped down the stairs in a tight gray v-neck and jeans.

"Ready?" I asked as I pulled my hair into a pony-tail.

"To drink animal blood? Of course." He said sarcastically. There was still a level of amusement in his eyes that I could not quite comprehend.

We ran deep into the woods. The still air felt like the fastest of winds on our face. He was faster than me, but kept pace. It felt good to run and hunt with someone new. A comfortable silence fell over us as we ran and allowed our minds to travel.

I stopped suddenly hearing the faint sound of a heartbeat nearby. He raced past me, not anticipating the sudden stop. I was not particularly thirsty having fed a day or two ago, but Alec's eyes went black as he heard the sloshing sound as well. With more concentration we heard more hearts, bigger than those of humans.

"Deer." I said. Without warning I leapt into the nearest tree and gestured for him to join me. He did and we jumped from tree to tree until we hovered silently above the herd. "It's all instinctual. There is more blood, but it doesn't taste as good as the human stuff." I whispered, keeping my eye trained on a rather impressive buck.

"And here you don't have to snap the neck to keep them quiet." Alec added thoughtfully. I shivered slightly at the thought of how many necks he had broken, or hadn't bothered to. "Let's see what I can do."

He dove at the buck I had been watching. And landed on its back, crushing it to the ground. The animal kicked at him and tried to pierce him with his antlers as the rest of the herd took off. Alec held him steady before biting into his neck. He scrunched up his nose at the taste before he gave himself up to thirst. He finished after a minute and shoved the dry carcass away.

"Not bad." He shrugged, wiping the blood off the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. Besides a tear in the knee of his jeans and some dirt smudges on his shirt he was unscathed. I jumped down lightly from my perch and walked over to him. "Are you going to feed?" He asked as he met me halfway.

"The herd has moved on." I said, bored.

"As if you couldn't catch them." He grinned. I gave him a small and began walking back in the direction of the house, deciding that I would feed if the opportunity arose. "So how'd I do?" He asked turning and walking backwards in front of me.

"You did great, I'm surprised you could stand the taste though." I commented. He chuckled.

"I almost couldn't." He admitted. He was trying not show his pride and failing terribly. I just nodded and he stopped walking and turned his head to the side to study me.

"Everything alright?" I asked a little nervously.

"Just wondering what we're going to do next." He picked a loose strand of my hair curiously before tucking it behind my ear.

_**A/N: Hey guys so here is the first chapter of my comeback. I know I know it's just a filler but the rest of the story is going to have much more drama. I just need a quick transition to get me back into the story. Let me know if it's as good as the rest. Your reviews have been so nice!**_

_**booklover1498: haha I'm loving the energy! Finals are rough! My school is breaking them up to accommodate hockey tournaments which is at least good for me. Meeting with teachers helps a bunch though! And not done yet!**_

_**Guest: Thank you so much! It means a lot for me to hear that as a writer and don't worry, their relationship will begin to progress after this chapter**_


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